Receiver for lumber or the like



Oct. 11, 1966 o. v. FRYDENBERG RECEIVER FOR LUMBER OR THE LIKE 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1964 INVENTOR. MFA/4L 0 M F? Vflf/VBEQG 42] z mum 5y Oct. 11, 1966 D. v. FRYDENBERG 3,278,042

RECEIVER FOR LUMBER OR THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1964 A TTOP/VEK United States Patent 3,27s,042 RECEIVER FOR LUMBER OR THE LIKE Donald V. Frydenberg, Arlington, Tex., assignor to Clary Corporation, San Gabriel, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Dec. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 417,380 2 Claims. (Cl. 21160) This invention relates to cradles or receivers for receiving, storing and transporting pieces of lumber or the like.

Wood processing machines for automatically or otherwise cutting, trimming, finishing or otherwise processing individual pieces of lumber on a production basis generally provide for passage of the pieces, one at a time, therethrough. After processing, the pieces usually drop into bins or racks or onto the floor where they accumulate and are then stored, ready for delivery.

Quite often such pieces are in finished form and when they are dropped onto the floor of a bin or the like or onto the parts of a rack, they are easily dented or marred. This occurs particularly when an edge of a piece of lumber strikes a concrete floor, the floor of a metal bin or a metal piece of a rack.

Therefore, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a receiver for receiving lumber or the like into which pieces may be dropped without damage.

Another object is to provide a receiver for lumber or the like which may be readily modified to receive pieces of different lengths.

Another object is to provide a receiver of the above type which is relatively light and easy to maneuver and yet capable of supporting a relatively large number of pieces of lumber or the like.

Another object is to provide a receiver of the above type which is inexpensive to manufacture.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the acompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receiver for receiving a plurality of pieces of lumber as they are ejected from a lumber processing machine (not shown).

FIG. 2 is an end view of the receiver showing a plurality of pieces of lumber supported thereby.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view of the upper end of one of the frame arms and web clamping means.

FIG. 4 is an end view taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an end view of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a part of the receiver shown in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the receiver comprises one or more units generally indicated 10 and 11. Such a receiver unit 11 comprises two U-shaped metal frame elements 12 and 13, each having two spaced upwardly extending posts or supports 14 and 15 integral with a base piece 16.

Two tubular metal frame members 17 and 18 are suitably secured adjacent their opposite ends, as by welding, to the under surfaces of the base pieces 16 of the two frame elements to maintain such elements in spaced parallel relation with each other.

The frame elements 12 and 13 are mounted on castered wheels adjacent their outer ends to facilitate moving the unit from place to place. Casters 19 supporting the wheels 20 permit swinging of the wheels in any direction about respective vertical axes.

A relatively soft flexible web 21 of cloth or the like is draped between the upper ends of each pair of posts 14 and 15 and the ends of the web are clamped to respective ones of the arms by clamp devices generally indicated at 22, FIGS. 3 and 4. As shown, the end of each web is laid on a pad 23 formed integral with the top of the respective arm and is formed into a loop 24 over a rectangular clamp element 25 which extends beyond the side edges of the web. Clamp bolts 26 and 27 are located on opposite sides of the web. Such bolts pass through openings in the clamp element 25 and are threaded in the pad 23 to clamp the web between the pad and the clamp element.

The above construction enables the web to protect a piece of lumber, when dropped directly over one of the arms, from striking such arm or the clamp element 25. Also, the heads of the bolts 27 are of less thickness than the web so that they will not be struck by a piece of lumber when dropped directly thereover.

It will be noted that when a piece of lumber is dropped into the receiver it will be received only by the relatively soft webbing and thus be protected from striking any part of the support frame. Also, the webs 21 tend to align the pieces in a bundle, as shown in FIG. 2, even though they may be skewed somewhat when dropped onto the webs. In addition, the webs tend to center the pieces in the receiver so that there will be little tendency for the receiver to tip when it is wheeled sideways from one location to another.

Since the lumber is relatively soft, little damage results when a piece of lumber strikes another piece already received by the webs unless it is dropped from too great a height.

The receiver unit 10 comprises a frame element 30, similar to the frame elements 12 and 13, and is supported on castered wheels 31. A pair of tubular frame members 32 and 33 are secured adjacent one end of each thereof to the underside of the frame element 30 and are slideably fitted within the tubular members 17 and 18. Clamp screws, one of which is shown at 34, and threaded into the members 17 and 18 to clamp the members 32 and 33 in different adjusted positions. Thus, the receiver may be adjusted to different desired lengths to accommodate material of different lengths or the unit 10 may be removed entirely from attachment to the unit 11.

Clamp screws similar to screws 34 may be provided at the opposite end of the receiver unit 11 and a receiver unit similar to unit 10 may be adjustably secured to such opposite end to handle extremely long pieces of material.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of the invention wherein each U-shaped frame element 36 of the receiver is similar in construction to those frame elements shown in FIG. 1. However, each flexible web 21a is attached at one end only, i.e. 36, to the upper end of one of the frame posts. The opposite end of the web is guided over a guide roller 39, rotatably supported on the upper end of the opposite frame post, and is attached to a spool 37 which is rotatably mounted within a housing 38. A torsion spring 40 urges the spool 37 clockwise to maintain the web taut.

When no pieces are held by the web it assumes its dotted line position 41. However, the strength of the spring 40 is preferably so adjusted that as pieces are piled on to the web, the latter will be withdrawn from the spool 37 and will be lowered toward or below its full line position shown in FIG. 5 while the upper level of the pile will remain substantially even with the tops of the posts. If the pieces are fed from a suitable conveyor, as indicated at 42, they will drop only a short distance, even though the size of the pile increases, since the top of the pile will not vary considerably from the original level of the web.

On the other hand, when the pieces of material are removed from the receiver the top level of the pile will again remain approximately level, thereby obviating a necessity for workmen to bend down to remove the pieces.

The flexible nature of the web cushions the weight of a pile of material supported thereby when the receiver is moved over uneven surfaces. Thus, since the load is in effect sprung, movement of heavy loads over uneven surfaces is facilitated.

Although the invention has been described in detail and certain specific terms and languages have been used, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative rather than restrictive and that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A receiver for receiving pieces of lumber or the like comprising a frame, spaced pairs of upstanding posts on said frame, the posts of each said pair being spaced apart from each other, a soft flexible web extending between the upper ends of the posts of each said pair and draped therebetween to receive said pieces, and means including clamp elements for clamping the ends of each of said webs against the tops of respective ones of said posts; portions of said webs adjacent said ends being Wrapped over the tops of said respective clamp elements whereby to protect said pieces from engaging said clamp elements.

2. A receiver for receiving pieces of lumber or the like comprising a frame, spaced pairs of upstanding posts on said frame, the posts of each said pair being spaced apart from each other, a soft flexible web extending between the upper ends of the posts of each said pair and draped therebetween to receive said pieces, clamp elements, the ends of said web being wrapped over said clamp elements whereby to protect said pieces from striking said clamp elements, and clamp bolts on opposite sides of said web, said bolts passing through said clamp elements and into the tops of said posts whereby to cause said clamp elements to clamp said ends of said Web against the tops of respective one of said posts, and the heads of said bolts being thinner than said web whereby to enable said web to protect said pieces from striking said heads.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,887,067 11/1932 Pehrsson 28035 2,480,025 8/ 1949 Hunter 280-35 2,733,031 6/ 1956 Morgillo 248-316 2,813,726 11/1957 Leonard 24-265 X 3,021,011 2/1962 Visneski 21149 3,098,567 7/1963 Steel 211-49 3,123,024 3/1964 Bronson 21149 X 3,136,425 6/1964 Greenbury 211-182 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,149,798 7/ 1957 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RECEIVER FOR RECEIVING PIECES OF LUMBER OR THE LIKE COMPRISING A FRAME, SPACED PAIRS OF UPSTANDING POSTS ON SAID FRAME, THE POSTS OF EACH SAID PAIR BEING SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER, A SOFT FLEXIBLE WEB EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF THE POSTS OF EACH SAID PAIR AND DRAPEDS THEREBETWEEN TO RECEIVE SAID PIECES, AND MEANS INCLUDING CLAMP ELEMENTS FOR CLAMPING THE ENDS OF EACH OF SAID WEBS AGAINST THE TOPS OF RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID POSTS; PORTIONS OF SAID WEBS ADJACENT SAID ENDS BEING WRAPPED OVER THE TOPS OF SAID RESPECTIVE CLAMP ELEMENTS WHEREBY TO PROTECT SAID PIECES FROM ENGAGING SAID CLAMP ELEMENTS. 